Capitol View for December 5

Good morning. It's Minnesota’s last election day of 2023.

The short-handed Minnesota House gains its newest member in an election today. MPR’s Dana Ferguson wrote about the House District 52B race that will be decided by suburban voters in portions of Mendota Heights and Eagan. It’s just one Minnesota House race decided in the chill of December in an area where one party has a clear edge and turnout is sure to be low. But Tuesday’s special election for a vacant suburban seat is a bit more than that for parties expected to tangle over chamber control next year: A chance to test out themes that could move, anger or turn off voters who might not follow all the ins and outs of what happens at the state Capitol. Democrats will retain their House majority no matter what, but Republicans hope to slim that advantage.

It’s possible, though not definite, that Minnesota will get its next state seal in waiting today. Dana will be on the lookout for a decision during this morning’s State Emblems Redesign Commission meeting. There is less contentiousness around a seal design — and even a clear favorite — than the flag debate. On the topic of flag finalists, Dana tracked down the sixth designer after MPR introduced you to the other five. This fella lives in Texas but grew up in Minnesota and makes clear “I don't own a pair of cowboy boots, and I don't wear a cowboy hat. And I'm basically the same guy I was when I left Minnesota because I was sent to Texas and I didn't come here by choice. But anyway, I would hope that would not come into play.”

Speaking of two things Minnesota is on the search for: An Office of Cannabis Management director and now an Office of Medical Cannabis director. The Star Tribune’s Ryan Faircloth reported first that Chris Tholkes would leave her job at the medical cannabis division for a job with the city of Minneapolis. That leaves openings in both Minnesota marijuana regulatory roles. Her final day is Friday. Tholkes said in a written statement: "Cannabis regulatory work is intense and after 5 years of working under a microscope and at a breakneck pace, the time is right for me to make a change."

A law designed to hold down prescription drug price increases is on hold after a federal judge ruled in favor of a pharmaceutical trade group. U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schiltz issued an injunction yesterday that bars the state from enforcing the law. The Association for Accessible Medicines sued shortly after it took effect in July, saying the state was violating the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause with the law that threatened steep fines if generic drug manufacturers excessively boosted drug prices in Minnesota or elsewhere. Schiltz agreed with the group’s argument that states are barred from regulating out-of-state transactions. The lawsuit was one of several filed in an attempt to stop new laws passed by the DFL-led Legislature. It’s unclear if an appeal will be filed.

There is one fewer Republican presidential candidate. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum ended his White House bid yesterday. Because of polling thresholds, he would have missed this week’s debate stage, the second consecutive debate he was excluded from. The AP reports that Burgum faulted the Republican National Committee, which sets qualifications for the debates, for “nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire.”